The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-09-21
The Constitution Centennial.

The last centennial celebration of the
events of revolutionary times began at
Philadelphia last week Thursday. The
streets presented an attractive appearance.
In all directions, as far as the eye could
reach, it was one mass of bunting and deco
ration. Many OF the newspaper offices and
public buildings made lavish display.
The monster industrial procession covered
a distance of five miles and was witnessed
by thousands. The monster civic and in
dustrial parade illustrated the advancement
of industrial arts and sciences during the
past century and fairly eclipsed anything
of the kind ever known. There were in
line 300 floats, each bearing representations
of some particular branch of industry, 12,-
600 men, 5000 horses and $50 bands of music
Governor Beaver shook hands with fully
1900 people in the evening at a public
reception in one of the galleries of
the Academy of Fine Arts. President
Cleveland arrived at fifty minutes past
nine, accompanied by Secretaries Bayard
and Fairchild citizens of the committee on
reception and distinguished guests. Ex-
President Hayes and General Sheridan were
present, as also were the governors of sew
eral states. Nearly $4,000 uniformed SOL
diers passed in review Friday before the
chief magistrate and high officers of this
and other governments, and at their head
rode General Phil. II. Sheridan. At least
half a million of strangers were within the
city and this vast throng, in addition to a
million inhabitants, witnessed the process
sion. Every street through which the col
umn passed was almost a solid mass of tri-
colored bunting and flags. Members of
commercial, stock, drug, grocers and i'm
porters, marketmen, petroleum. lumber
, men, textile and wool exchanges and board
of trade assembled in the large hall on the
third floor of the latters building at ten
A. NJ. and were addressed briefly by Presi-
dent Cleveland, who was enthusiastically
cheered. After his speech President Cleve-
land announced himself as being ready to
meet the gentlemen present. and one by
one they walked up the steps of the ros-
trum and grasped his hand, and then
shook hands with Secretaries Bayard and
Fairchild, eX-President Hayes, Governor
Beaver, Mayor Filter, A. j. Drexel and
George W. Childs, who received with him.
After the reception the Presidents party
drove to the reviewing stand at Broad and
Walnut streets to witness the military pa
rade. The reception to President and Mrs.
Cleveland at the Academy of Music in the
evening was one of the greatest social sue
cesses ever witnessed in the city. Fully
10000 people found their way into the build
! ing before the President grasped the hand
of the last conner. The President was en-
tertained by the Glover club. covers being
laid for one hundred fifty guests, among
them being eX-President Hayes, Senator
Evarts, Governor Sawyer, Senator Hawley,
Admiral Luce, Hon. John S. WISE Henry
Il. Dixey, the comedian, and Justice
Harlan.
At half-past ten o'clock Saturday morning
the presidential party took carriages for the
Philadelphia memorial meeting in indie.
pendence square AT the front of the stand
hung a Photographic copy of the original
Constitution. AT the east side of the stand
stood the quaint old high backed chair occn-
pied by George Washington as the presid
ing officer of the congress which adopted
that document. The chorus of two thousand
children, with two hundred leading, sang a
patriotic air, which brought them rounds OF
applause. Among the distinguished guests
were Hannibal Hamin, ex-President Hayes
and wife and Chief-justice Waite Al
twenty-five minutes past eleven Bishop
Potter made the opening prayer. Just after
the bishop had concluded Lieutenant-gen
eral Sheridan, with his aids, followed closely
by Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop Ryan anC
a number of Catholic clergymen marched
down the aisle cheered to the echo Wher
they had been seated Hon John A. Kasson
as president of the constitutional centennia
commission, made the introductory adj
dress of the day. Mrs. Cleveland sat almos
in front of the speakers position, and wa
the cynosure of all eyes. She was neatl,
attired in a close-ttting dress of cream anC
brown-colored plaid silk, and wore a stylish
bonnet of drab color, with ribbon trim
mings. Ex-Minister Kasson then escorte,
the President to the speakers tribune
WHERE ne iIldtlt IL ltu-iuluultS dAluItSS
When the President was in the midst of hi
remarks the liberty bell rang out the hou
of twelve, and another rousing cheer wen
up from the chorus. The President wa
obliged to stop talking and surveyed TIN
scene about him. After the President Jus
tce Samuel f. Miller of the United State
supreme court delivered his memorial ora
ton. AS he took his seat the band strucl
up Hail, Columbia" as an accompaniment
to the chorus. The new words written b.
Oliver Wendall Holmes were used, tn
popular air was caught by the crowd an
this, with the beating of time by thousand
of feet on the ground, produced an effec
that will linger long in the memory G
those who were present. The nationa
hymn, by f. Marion Harland, was the
recited by Professor Murdoch, with choru
of two hundred mems voices and the Marin
band accompanying. Cardinal Gibbons Of
fered prayer, after which the benedictio
was pronounced by Rev. Jere Witherspoor
of the Cumberland Presbyterian church c
Nashville, Tenn. The Marine band the
terminated the exercises by rendering
march of their own composition.